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Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has left out India vice-captain KL Rahul from the first Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy, which starts in Nagpur on February 9.
The veteran reckons that Suryakumar Yadav should make his Test debut in the absence of injured players Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer. He also wants the in-form Shubman Gill to open alongside Rohit Sharma for Team India.
Speaking to Sports Tak, Harbhajan Singh said:
“If you want to give someone a chance to play at No. 5, there’s no better option than Suryakumar Yadav. If someone plays spin better, it’s SKY. He has a sweep shot and steps out well against spinners. When SKY plays in Ranji, he plays in the middle order. Play him at his spot.”
He added:
“KL, I love the way he bats. There is no doubt that he’s a quality batsman but in the present scenario if Shubman Gill doesn’t play then when? Ajinkya Rahane was also vice-captain previously. There were many vice-captains who are not on the team. The team is always the first priority then the individuals come in.”
KL Rahul managed to score only 57 runs during the two-Test series in Bangladesh in December. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill scored a ton in the first Test against the same opponent.
For the uninitiated, Ajinka Rahane was dropped despite being a Test deputy during the first Test in South Africa at Newlands in 2018.
Harbhajan Singh feels Rahul Dravid should have sent Test players, including KL Rahul, to play in Ranji Trophy ahead of the Border-Gavaskar trophy
Harbhajan Singh further believes that Team India head coach Rahul Dravid should have sent Test players, including under-fire KL Rahul, to play in the Ranji Trophy ahead of the four-Test series.
He reckons that a four-day game could have proved fruitful for the hosts as they aim to retain the trophy.
He said:
“Rahul Dravid would agree that he should have sent the players to play Ranji Trophy ahead of the Test series. Their bodies could have adjusted accordingly after playing four-day cricket.”
